Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Notice is hereby given that the Brooklyn Borough President will hold a public hearing on the following matter in the Community Room, Brooklyn Borough Hall, 209 Joralemon Street, Brooklyn, New York 11201, commencing at 5:30 P.M. on May 7, 2008.

The Department of City Planning has submitted an application for amendments to the Zoning Resolution. The proposed text amendments would apply the narrow street zoning provisions for height, setback and floor area ratio to streets which are mapped as wide on the City map but share a similar character to other narrow streets in the area. These streets are 1st Place, 2nd Place, 3rd Place, and 4th Place; and Second Street, Carroll Street and President Street between Smith Street and Hoyt Street in Brooklyn Community District 6.

No single event will have a more drastic and more long-lasting impact on Brooklyn than the proposed development of Atlantic Yards by Forest City Ratner. This uncommon proposal, however, is mostly misunderstood. Brooklyn Matters is an insightful documentary which reveals the fuller truth about the Atlantic Yards proposal and highlights how a few powerful men are circumventing community participation and skirting legal protections to try to get the deal done.

The Council of Brooklyn Neighborhoods, Brooklyn Speaks, andDevelop Don't Destroy Brooklynwill join with community leaders and elected officials in calling for a freeze on all Atlantic Yards activities. The three sponsoring organizations represent thousands of New Yorkers that have had differing perspectives on issues raised by the Atlantic Yards proposal, but all agree that the current state of affairs is intolerable. The following elected officials have confirmed attendance: NYS Senator Velmanette Montgomery, NYS Assemblywoman Joan Millman, NYS Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries, NYC Councilwoman Letitia James, NYC Councilman Bill Deblasio, NYC Councilman David Yassky, NYC Councilman Tony Avella.

Please allow us to introduce ourselves; we are the South Brooklyn Neighborhood Alliance, a new coalition dedicated to bringing community planning to our neighborhoods. Our goal is to build a model where residents, small businesses, elected officials, city government and developers work in common to plan how our neighborhoods prepare for the future. We are local residents and members of civic groups in the CB6 catchment area from the Columbia Waterfront to the Gowanus Canal.

A zoning text amendment has been introduced by the City Council to City Planning for Carroll Gardens. It is designed to protect the blocks of First, Second, Third and Fourth Place from Henry to Smith Streets, and extending to Second, Carroll and President Streets between Smith and Hoyt Streets. The text amendment would re-classify those blocks as "narrow" streets as laid out in the original plans of 1846. We believe it is imperative that the improper wide-street designation be changed to protect the openness of the signature front gardens for which Carroll Gardens is named.

We support this zoning text amendment as a proactive measure, which will allow for harmonious new development while preserving and enhancing the brownstone community that is Carroll Gardens. We urge both our advisory and elected representatives -our Community Board members and the Brooklyn Borough President to join with the Department of City Planning and the City Council to approve and implement this text amendment with all expedience.

This Thursday, April 24, beginning at 6pm, at 250 Baltic Street, will be the land use committee meeting of CB6.On the agenda for that evening, is the Carroll Gardens "wide street" issue. Please come if you can and speak out in favor.

TO: MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL BOARD COMMITTE, MEMBERS OF THE LANDMARKS/LAND USE COMMITTE, ALL INTERESTED PARTIES

Discussion and formulation of a recommendation on a variance application submitted to the Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA Cal. No. 16-92-BZ) to permit the reinstatement of variances originally granted, an extension of the term of years pursuant to Zoning Resolution section 11-411, and the legalization of a change in use to warehouse, carpentry shop and furniture warehouse and business office with accessory parking in accordance with Zoning Resolution sections 11-413, 52-33 and 52.34, as well as a 278 square foot mezzanine for office use pursuant to Zoning Resolution section 11-412, for the property at 115 King Street aka 78 Sullivan Street (Block 556, Lot 15) between Van Brunt/Richards Streets.

Presentation and review of a Certificate of Appropriateness application submitted to the Landmarks Preservation Commission for an alteration to the entrance steps and installation of handrails at 226-236 Kane Street, Kane Street Synagogue, Cobble Hill Historic District.

Presentation and review of a revised unenclosed sidewalk cafe permit application submitted to the Department of Consumer Affairs on behalf of The Cherry Tree Corp. at 65 4th Avenue (between Bergen and St. Marks Places), to permit 10 tables and 24 seats.

Presentation and review of proposed Zoning Resolution Text Amendment (#N080345ZRK), known as the Carroll Gardens Places Text Amendment, submitted by the Department of City Planning that would define 1st Place, 2nd Place, 3rd Place and 4th Place between Henry Street and Smith Street; and 2nd Street, Carroll Street and President Street between Smith Street and Hoyt Street, in the Carroll Gardens neighborhood of Brooklyn Community Board 6 as 'Narrow Streets' for zoning calculation purposes.

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

FILM SCREENING & DISCUSSIONBrooklyn Matters- A documentary by Producer/Director Isabel Hill. No single event will have a more drastic and more long-lasting impact on Brooklyn than the proposed development of Atlantic Yards by Forest City Ratner. This uncommon proposal, however, is mostly misunderstood. Brooklyn Matters is an insightful documentary which reveals the fuller truth about the Atlantic Yards proposal and highlights how a few powerful men are circumventing community participation and skirting legal protections to try to get the deal done.

Join guide John Heyer, as he takes us through time to explore the rich architectural and religious History of Carroll Gardens. The tour will stop at St. Stephan R.C. Church, St. Paul Episcopal, St. Agnes R.C. Church, and St. Mary Star of the Sea R.C. Church. You will also learn about former houses of worship like the Southern Congressional Church at Court and President, the Methodist church that once stood at Summit and Henry as well as many others that have been long demolished or converted.

$20 day of event$15 with reservation before day of event$10 for students and seniors with reservations

The Union-Sackett Block Association is now a member of the newly formed South Brooklyn Neighborhood Alliance. We join other groups, which include Baltic and Warren Neighbors, Carroll Gardens Neighborhood Association, Cobble Hill Association, Columbia Waterfront Neighborhood Association, Committee for the Historic Integrity of Cobble Hill, CORD, Hoyt Street Alliance, South Brooklyn Local Development Corporation, and Warren Street Block Association.

We are the South Brooklyn Neighborhood Alliance. We are your neighbors and your friends. We are your fellow riders on the subway; the people at the next table in the coffee shop; the parents and grandparents of the children who attend the local schools. We share this neighborhood, its streets and services, with you and with one another. We think that this is a great place to live. The beauty, lower density, human scale of our buildings, safety, and the more neighborly lifestyle of our brownstone communities are some of the many reasons people have chosen to live here. We share a respect and affection for this community and wish not only to preserve it, but make it even better. Over the last two years, we have watched the quality of life here begin to erode under the pressure of out-of-scale development, structures that dwarf our existing neighborhood buildings. Development is based simply on maximizing the square footage and height allowable. New development has had neither respect nor regard for this lovely place, its needs and limitations, its character, or the very residents who have lovingly maintained it. What we want, is to maintain the integrity of our neighborhoods; implement the proper and appropriate infrastructure improvements before we have nothing left of our neighborhood to protect and enjoy.We are members of many different civic groups. We have joined together. We now represent a single united force dedicated to the preservation and improvement of our neighborhoods. We are not anti-development, but rather, wish to work with developers who have the ability to incorporate the special charm and character of this neighborhood into their design.Our goal is to achieve respectful, thoughtful, responsible development. In order to realize this, there is work to be done. There are laws to be changed, agencies and programs to be funded, processes that must be reevaluated. We will insist that the men and women, who have been elected to office by us, work for us to this same end. Let us begin.

Monday, April 7, 2008

The Union-Sackett Block Association's monthly meeting is this Saturday, April 12th at 11:30 AM at the Carroll Gardens Branch of the Brooklyn Public Library (Corner of Clinton and Union Sts.)

Topics on the agenda include a review of last Thursday's meeting with Clarett and Rogers Marvel, downzoning, and our much-deserved block party.

Thank you to all those who attended the meeting at PS 58 last week. You all showed incredible support and revealed to the Clarett Group and Rogers Marvel our devotion and commitment to our neighborhood.

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Just a reminder that tomorrow is the meeting with development company the Clarett Group and their hired architecture firm Rogers Marvel. The Clarett Group and Rogers Marvel will present renderings and talk about their plans for 340 Court St. There will be time for a question and answer session.

The meeting is hosted by the Union-Sackett Block Association and is supported by CORD (Carroll Gardens Coalition to Respectfully Develop) and the Carroll Gardens Neighborhood Association.

Message from the Union-Sackett Block Association of Carroll Gardens, South Brooklyn

Welcome to the Union-Sackett Block Association blog. We use this blog as a forum to post news, updates, meeting information, and other related materials. If you wish to contribute, please email the USBA with your submission atunion.sackett@gmail.com